Reply To: Consequences of dropping a melodica on the floor
I have a broken reed on my 1899 Kimball reed org. It makes a sucking sound when I press the key, as the reed has too much room for air passage, so it does not oscillate. Since it is on the celeste rank, I haven’t worried about it. And the reed organ works on lower pressure pulling the air through the reed.
The melodica is like an European harmonium, which drives the reeds with pressure. I’m confident you would hear the effect of a broken reed.